From the GM: February 2019

February 2019

Hello Friends!

We are hard at work planning activities and events for you in the months ahead. Going forward I will be utilizing my newsletter article to highlight what we have in store for you so please mark these on your calendar!

If you haven't heard, Sunday February 6th is the deadline for signing up for one of Common Ground's visioning committees. If you are reading this newsletter, I know you are very interested, or completely invested in the co-op, and we need your input! PLEASE sign up for one of the focus groups here.

Friday, February 8th is our ValenWines event from 6-8 pm in the mall hallway. We will have 5 of our wine representatives serving a wide variety of specialty wines paired with cheese and chocolate just in time for Valentine's Day! The cost is $15/ticket, and you can buy the tickets now online or in the store!

Wednesday, February 13th is Meal Kit pick-up day. This month's meal kit is our Vegan Harvest Grain Bowl! I tried it, and it is amazing! The price is $15 for owners and $20 for non-owners and serves 4. Please have your orders in by 6 PM on February 12th. The meal kits can be purchased in store, or at this website. Taxes do apply, and there is an additional fee for purchasing online.

Saturday, February 16th we will have our annual Seed Swap! Spring will soon be right around the corner and now is a great opportunity to plan your garden. We will host in the mall hallway right outside our back door. Please bring seeds to share or exchange! By the way, please check out the seed racks in our produce department; this year's specialty seeds are available now!

Our Friday Feast will be on February 22nd. We will be serving Shepherd's Pie made by our own John McNally, who is also the local farmer of Green Island Gardens. Meat and vegan options will be available starring LOCAL and seasonal ingredients!

Owner Appreciation Days will be March 7th-10th! Please don't miss out on some of the best deals you will see all year!

-- Very Important --- We are signing up volunteers now to grow plants for our Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser in early May. This is the main fundraiser we utilize to keep our Food for All program viable. We will need a long list of volunteers by the end of February and the full support of our Owners to help us make a difference in the lives of so many that need better access to healthy food. The following is a letter of appreciation that I received recently from a very satisfied participant.

Dear Common Ground,

Hi. My family and I were graciously given an equity grant a few years ago because we have met your guidelines. Also, we have received discounts from your Food for All program. I would like to thank you for giving us these things because they have helped my family and I afford food we very likely would not have been able to afford otherwise. However, we have recently permanently moved out of the area...... It is highly likely that we will not have any occasion to shop in your store again as we now live far outside of your area. Therefore, my family and I would like to give back our equity share that was given to us via the equity grant so that it may be used by other people in need who are living in the Champaign-Urbana area who may have a necessity for it. I would like to thank you once again.

As you can see this program is very important for our community and we need your help to make it happen! Please contact us if you have any questions.

Thank you all for your support! Without you, the work we do in our community would be impossible.